Champagne Castle

Left wrapped Cathkin Peak in the foreground and Champagne Castle in background, clouds.

The Champagne Castle is a mountain in the Drakensberg and with 3377 m the second highest peak in South Africa. He is surrounded by a number of other peaks including Giant's Castle ( 3315 m), Cathkin Peak ( 3149 m), Monk's Cowl ( 3229 m), Sterkhorn ( 2973 m), Mount Memory and Dragon's Back.

First ascent

The first ascent was made in the early years of the 20th century by Reverend AH Stocker and his brother F. R. Stocker. They also climbed the Sterkhorn first.

Origin of the name

The history of naming is to go back to the two climbers David Gray and Major Grantham, who wanted to celebrate the ascent of the summit with a bottle of champagne, but the shattered on a rock, on which was christened the mountain to the name Champagne Castle.

Location

Champagne Castle is located in the central Drakensberg Mountains near the town of Winterton.

Routes to the summit

The summit can be reached by experienced hikers in two days. The tours generally start at Monk's Cowl Camp, lead up to the foot of Cathkin Peak, thence along a Contour Path to Keith Bush Camp on Mhlwazini River. There, most hikers spend the night. The climb on the second day is done via the very steep Gray 's Pass, at the end, you reach the summit plateau.